The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul

by David M. Howard Jr.; Andrew Schmutzer

Publisher:

Moody

, 2013

Overview

The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul brings together essays from eighteen Old Testament scholars discussing the latest in Psalms scholarship and applying exegetical insights to the life of faith.

These essays explore the full range of emotion expressed in the Psalms—from elation to distress—while weaving together observations from biblical scholarship and theology. The reader will gain valuable insights into how the Psalms speak to his or her soul.

The book is divided into five sections that:

• Give an overview of Psalms studies in the 21st century
• Discuss psalms of praise
• Explore psalms of lament
• Look at the big picture of the Psalter as a book
• Present sermons on the Psalms that are models of evangelical engagement with the text.

Key Features

• Provides theological, exegetical, and pastoral insights into the Psalms
• Celebrates the impact the Psalter has had and continues to have in Christian faith
• Explores themes of praise and lament

Contents

Part 1: Psalms Studies in the Twenty-First Century: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Going

• Biblical Theology of the Psalms Today: A Personal Perspective—Bruce K. Waltke
• Entering the Textual World of the Psalms: Literary Analysis—Willem A. VanGemeren
• The Psalms and Faith/Tradition—C. Hassell Bullock

Part 2: Psalms of Praise: Expressing Our Joys

• Psalm 46: Praise the Lord Our Help—Francis X. Kimmitt
• Suppressing Myth: Yahweh and the Sea in the Praise Psalms—Robert B. Chisholm Jr
• Psalm 91: Refuge, Protection, and Their Use in the New Testament—Andrew J. Schmutzer

Part 3: Psalms of Lament: Expressing Our Sorrows and Pain

• “Severe Delight”: The Paradox of Praise in Confession of Sin—Michael E. Travers
• The Laments of Lamentations Compared to the Psalter—Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
• The “Thou” Sections of Laments: The Bold and Earnest Prayers of the Psalmists—Allen P. Ross

Part 4: Considering the Canon: The Psalter as a Book

• Psalms 1 and 2: The Psalter’s Introduction—Robert L. Cole
• Divine and Human Kingship as Organizing Motifs in the Psalter—David M. Howard Jr.
• The Return of the King: Book V as a Witness to Messianic Hope in the Psalter—Michael K. Snearly
• From Weeping to Rejoicing: Psalm 150 as the Conclusion to the Psalter—Tremper Longman III

Part 5: Communicating the Psalms: Bringing the Psalms into the Present Day

• Psalms 16, 23: Confidence in a Cup—Mark D. Futato
• Psalm 84: How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place—David A. Ridder
• Psalm 88: Praising God in the Bad Times—David M. Howard Jr.
• Psalm 117: Everlasting Truth for the Joy of all Peoples—John Piper

Top Highlights

“If the Bible is about God’s in-breaking of his kingdom, that is to say, of his will being done on earth as it is in heaven, then the Psalms are the faithful voice of the people of God in response to his saving history. In the Psalms we hear the voice of the faithful petitioning God to irrupt into the world with his just rule; and of praising him for his faithfulness to his creation of the world that sustains them and for his faithfulness to them in their salvation history. More specifically, we hear the voice of Israel in corporate solidarity—that is to say, in a covenant relationship—with their king who expresses their common voice of praise and petition. As such the historical king and Israel are a type of Christ and his church.” (Pages 26–27)

“The ‘joy and gladness’ that David wishes to express is that type of gratitude for forgiveness that only the sinner who confesses his own guilt can render to God. Again in his prayer for cleansing (vv. 10–13), David asks the Lord to ‘restore to [him] the joy of [his] salvation’ (v. 12). Sin separates the believer from God, but forgiveness removes that barrier, restoring joy along with the repaired relationship.” (Page 115)

“In short, the praise psalms affirm Yahweh’s absolute kingship and incomparability. To this end they suppress myth in order to highlight Yahweh’s sovereign position, which is unassailable and cannot be threatened.” (Page 84)

“These two dissertations convinced me that anthologies, such as the book of Psalms and the book of Proverbs, are intentionally arranged to give semantic depth to the individual psalm or proverb.” (Page 22)

Contributors

• C. Hassell Bullock
• Robert B. Chisholm Jr.
• Robert L. Cole
• Daniel J. Estes
• Mark D. Futato
• Randall X. Gauthier
• David M. Howard Jr.
• Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
• Francis X. Kimmitt
• Tremper Longman III
• John Piper
• David A. Ridder
• Allen P. Ross
• Andrew J. Schmutzer
• Michael K. Snearly
• Michael E. Travers
• Willem A. VanGemeren
• Bruce K. Waltke

Praise for the Print Edition

The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul is the product of a magnificent collaboration of evangelical scholars in their careful reading and exegesis of select psalms of various genres, reading the Psalter as a whole book, and profound reflection on the meaning and preaching of the Psalms. It is an impressive book that will serve well as a textbook for classes on the Psalms, exposing students to the best of scholarship in the field as well as the spirituality of the Psalter itself.

—Richard E. Averbeck, Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois

This book celebrates the lasting significance of the Psalms for the church. Through the centuries, in seasons of pain and pleasure, the Psalms have testified to the faithfulness of Yahweh and given Christians a voice for lament and praise. The volume supplies an effective guide and model that should serve both student and preacher and assist the church in recovering this biblical hymnbook.

—Jason S. DeRouchie, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Bethlehem College and Seminary, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Books on the Psalter tend to fall into two categories. They are either wholly devotional, popular works that lack any real interaction with current scholarship or thoroughly scholarly monographs that say little to the church. Few books successfully bridge the gap between the two worlds. The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul, however, admirably draws together academic research and the life of faith.

—Duane Garrett, John R. Sampey Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky

Product Details

• Title: The Psalms: Language for All Seasons of the Soul
• Editors: Andrew J. Schmutzer and David M. Howard Jr.
• Publisher: Moody
• Publication Date: 2013
• Pages: 288
• Resource Type: Collected Essays
• Topic: Psalms

About the Editors

Andrew Schmutzer (PhD, Trinity International University) is Professor of Biblical Studies at Moody Bible Institute (Chicago, Illinois). In addition to numerous articles and essays on the Old Testament, he has written the exegetical theology Be Fruitful and Multiply and two forthcoming commentaries on Ruth and Esther.

David M. Howard Jr. (B.S., Geneva College; M.A., Wheaton College; A.M., Ph.D., The University of Michigan), is professor of Old Testament at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Formerly he taught at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Bethel College and Seminary. He has served on Bible translation committees for the Holman Christian Standard Bible and the New Living Translation. He is the author of four books, including An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books, What Makes a Missionary, and The Structure of Psalms 93-100, as well as several dozen articles in scholarly journals and Bible encyclopedias. He resides in Shoreview, Minnesota.